Improvement in projectiles for rifled ordnance



W. H; SMITH. PROJEGTILE FOR RIFLED ORDNANGE.

Patented Jan. 5'. 1864.

.parts oi'jthe casing. tion of the projectile in the line ma of Fig. 1,

ArtNr FIIzc-n.

WILSON II. SMITH, or BIRMINGHAM, CONNECTICUT, AssIeNonfro HIMsELF, An; M. BAssET'r, AND C HA's. D. GIBSON.

IMPROVEMENT INV Panucci-nrt:'sf- FOR Ruf-LED .ORDNANCE- -Spg-.cilcntion forming part of' Letters Patent'No. LLllT. dated vJanuary 5, 1F64.

To all wtont it Duty concer/1,.-

" Beit known that I, WILSON H. SMITH, of Bir- 'Improvement in Projectiles for Ordnance; and

I dohereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, mak# yinga part of this specification, and of which.-

' Figure lis a side elevation of my improved sub-caliberprojectile; 2, a central longitudinal section of the same; Fig.v 3, a side ele- Vati on of the projectile when fitted with its metallic jacket alone, Fig. 4 representing the-.end packing disk an d ring detached from the other Fig. 5 is a transverse secand Fig. 6 a similar section of theend cap and packing-ring in the line y y/of Fig. 1.

Similar letters indicate like parts in each of the drawings. Thelnatur'e of my invention consists in theA .manu-facturel and use of a newand improved combinationcasiiig in connection with av subcaliber shot or shell, to obviate the danger which hasheretoforebee'n experienced in the use of such projectiles, because of the liability of the casing to break within the gun when acted upon by the explosion of thecharge' therein.

Thesub-caliber projectile A represented inA the accompanying drawings is lformed of asimple solid, steellheaded, cutting-faced bolt,- tapering inv form, to facilitate the detachment of its casing after thc projectile has left the gun. I contemplate, however, the application of my improved form of casing to any description'.of snbcaliber projectiles.

My improved casing consists of a light metallic'jaclre't, B, Figs. 2 and 3, combined with an exteriorcoating, E, 'of asoft texture, tena- -cious in iiber'and quality, and fitted with an end cap4 or disk, G,which is to a certain degree movable. The inctallicjaeket B, Figs. 2 and 3, is cast hollow, 'leaving annular recesses S's, Fig. 2, therein, separated by annular projec- .tions formed upon its interior surface ateither end, and in or about thc centelxlereof. These annular projections iv lw fu, Fig. 2, are turned so as tofit and embrace closely and accurately lthe ytapering bolt A, place d Withinthe jacket, 1 -`and serve i -to center lit exactly upon the axis thereof. The extreme inner or rear end or base of the jacket B is mortised to receive anlangularprojection or tenonv upon the'rear end of the bolt A,wherebythe rotary movement imparted'to, the projectilepin` itsdischarge from a,

riiied gun is communicated to this central bolt. The exterior form of this metallic jacket B is peculiar, and is fully illustrated. by Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings. Its front end is shaped. into a ring or annular projection, a, which coincides in diameter with the-.bore of the gun,\(its outer periphery being turned aecurately to lit thesame,) and serves to center the front end of the blt therein. That por- .tion of the jacket in the rearof the bearingring a tapers gradually in a degree coincident with the' taperof'the'bolt to be inclosed therein, so that their outlines in section are parallel, as illustrated in.Fig.,2. A -grooved prog jection, b, Figs. 2,3,.and 6, is formed uponthe base or, rear' end of the. jacket B, to receiveand I properly secure air annular supporting plate or disk, C, Figs. 2, 4, and 6. fThe outer surface ofthe jacket is also furnished with a series of longitudinal ribs', e e e, Figs. 3 and 5,w hich commence immediately behind the vfront bear-V ing, a, and extend back to within-a short distance of the end of the jacket, adding greatly to the strength of the Whole casing, and securing a more' perfectc'ombination of the exterior envelope. The rear supporting-disk, C, is provided with' a central opening, so-formed as to receive and embrace closely and accurately the grooved projection b uponthe end of the jacket. An annularcentral recess is also turned upon its front face,with a diameter very slightly larger than the rear- ,end, d, of the jacket, so that it may .pass over and slideforwardupon the 'same against the ends of the ribs e e e e. The periphery of this supporting plate or disk C is turned to fit the bore ofv the gun, so as to center'thef' rear end of the projectile accurately therein, and it is also provided with a suitable packing ring or ange, D, Figs. 2 and 4,' of soft metal, combined withtheusual lubricant materials." Upon this light metallic jack-et B,

4formedas described, I superimpose an exterior casing, E, Figs. 2 and 5, of paper or papier.A mache, felt, leather, hemp, iiax, cotton, lithequivalent soit but tenacious material. This -C casing extends rearwardly beyond the end ofr the ribs to the extreme endof the jacket, so

1that the supporting-disk O,when placed upon The' exterior 'sing, E, may be molded upon the ribbed jacket B,A or pressed on in rings or sections, as may be found most convenient in View of the material used. lts perimeter is made equal' and uniform with those of the supportingring a and disk C, as seen in Fig. v2;-

l but it will be observed that when the projectile is started in the gun bythe force of the eX- `plosion ofthe charge of powder, the support- ,ing-disk C (with its attached packing ring or flange D) is driven forward upon tle end of-tlie jacket at d, see Fig. 2,) until it strikes against the ends ofthe ribs e e, and by thuscompressing the exterior casing, ]d, causes `it to expand radially into the grooves of the gun. v

The ribbed jacket B maybe cast at one op- -eration either of malleable iron (which I prefer) or of any otliemetal or metallic composition or alloy found sufficiently strong and tenacious in quality and fiber.

n I do not limit myself to a ribbed metallic jacket in this connection,for,although I believe these ribs to be an important feature of my inventiomdo not regard them as positively essential toits success.

The advantages of my improved combination casing are evident, being found in its superior strength, combined with lightness, and in the facility with which it detaches itself from the inclosed bolt when the projectile has left the gun.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. My improved casing for sub-caliber projectiles, consisting of a light metallic jacket,B, combined with a movable supporting-disk, C, and an exterior envelope, E, of paper, papiermache, leather, rubber, gutta-percha, cotton, lithoconia, hemp, or'othersimilar and equivalent soft, plastic, fibrous, or elastic materials, either singly or in their combinations, the whole being united and arranged substantially in themanner and for the purpose herein set forth. l

2. The combination of my improved casing, as described, with any suitable fo'rm of subcaliber projectile for ordnance, substantially as is herein set forth.

The foregoing specification of my newand usefulimprovement in sub-caliber projectiles for ordnancel signed by me this 6th day of October, A. D. 1863.

' WILSON H. SMITH.. In presence of d GEO. W. S'rEvENs, Trios. S. BIRDSEYE. 

